Lost in the middle of a foggy sea

Hanging the last of the clothing on the rack, I return to see what assistance I may to Tanner and Irina who have been disassembling everything and gradually moving it over to the RV. Going over, I begin to place some of the lighter items into their places on the shelves, plugging them into the power strips as I go.

 © 2010 by Lilith Langtree & Rénae Dáºmas. This work may not be replicated or presented in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the work’s Owner (copyright holder), with the exception of the private and non-commercial viewing by the reader who is also the end purchaser. ALL Rights Reserved, including but not limited to ownership of Characters, final content decision, and more. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental. Any and all images which may be shown within this work are taken through license under Corel with the exception of the title image which is Photo Credit to Irina Sheik. No affiliations, involvement or gender assignations through the use of these or any images of the subject or subjects contained within those posted images is to be implied, intended or inferred.
An Aldoennetti & Langtree Original.

Getting in and out, and in and out of the RV while in heels isn’t all that easy. I need to remember to put a pair of flats or tennies in here somewhere so I can wear something comfortable while I help.

Once all the items are in place and plugged in, I move out of the way so the two strong boys may put the lights and larger things into the RV. The make up station is swung in and a few things moved a little to make room for it then the awning is rolled up after the sides have been stowed again. Meanwhile the Emerson people have packed up and departed.

All the cables and some of the items are stowed in the underbody lockers until finally there is one last tour to check for anything which may have been forgotten despite the check off list. Yea, we’re on our way.

Back at the studio, the RV is parked inside the garage and it is plugged in to bring the batteries back up to charge. The trip back helped accomplish some of that as well but our trips are so short there really isn’t a lot of charge returned to the batteries. There is a generator on board but it is seldom used except for short times to keep it operational. Tanner told me it has less than a hundred hours on it for the entire two years he has been using the RV.

“Before I had the large battery bank installed I used the generator. The battery bank is a lot less expensive to operate for my uses. I can charge the battery bank and my equipment for about fifty-five cents or less from the power outlet. To do that with the generator would cost about five fifty in gas.”

Since tomorrow is payday Tanner goes into the office to do his book keeping. Irina says good-bye for the day and goes out, jumping into his car to head home which leaves me with nothing to do but practice my modeling techniques and to take a sneak preview of the course in Russian torture. The language — the language. I’m supposed to understand this?

By the time Tanner comes out of his office an hour later, I think I’ve figured out how to say ‘hello’ and ‘where are the restrooms?’ Well, not literally but their equivalent.

Tanner isn’t terribly impressed but concedes that the questions might be important ones for both myself and the other girls.

“Okay, Kat. Let’s get home. Bring your courses with you.”

“All right. I have a request, however. I would like to do a little...” I use my hands and imitate shooting a gun with them, “before supper practice.”

He looks at me a little funny. “Okay. I think we can do that. Just don’t get too loud or the neighbors will complain.”

I look at him in confusion since I thought the room downstairs was soundproofed then it hits me what it is he is referring to and I turn beet red.

“NO! I MEAN...”

“Relax, Kat. I know what you mean.”

He’s just pulling my chain, and successfully too. I can see why his sister gets so exasperated with him.

We arrive home where I go to my room to change before going out to the kitchen to locate a pair of rubber gloves just in case we actually spend time shooting which means I will also spend time cleaning the... pistol. Give me a few weeks and I’ll remember the word. The difference between a pistol (semi-automatic) and a revolver having been impressed upon my brain since I mistakenly called it a revolver. I was trying to impress Tanner and I did, just not the way I had intended.

He took me through a ‘some revolvers are pistols but not all pistols are revolvers’ rule. Just to confuse me further he showed me pictures of rifles which are revolvers. Does it matter? They all shoot bullets, or am I mistaken there too?

Finally he leads the way to the bedroom and as he closes the door I turn red again when I see the bed and only begin to retreat to my normal colouring when he opens the bookcase and we begin to go down the hall.

Eventually we are down in the ‘range’ and he is getting everything together as I begin to tell him the real reason I wanted to come down here.

“You said it was safe to talk down here?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I really don’t want to shoot. I want to talk.”

“About what?”

“You, Pendercot, Emerson and the photo studio.”

“There isn’t much to say.” He is purposely being evasive.

“You said, ‘Don’t say things at the studio which we need to keep secret’.”

“That’s right.”

“Why?”

“Why is it right?”

“Don’t be evasive. Why can’t we talk at the studio. Is it... ‘bugged’, I think is the word.”

“It could be. So it’s safer just not to say anything there.”

“Is that why you had to make my request seem more like a vulgar question?”

“Partially. Can I help it when you give me such a luscious lead in?”

“Hmmm. Down to business. I gather from the conversation you had with Emerson that you and he have history going back to high school. Why and what is that?”

“None of your business, Kat.”

“You made it my business when you inferred to Emerson that I worked for the same Agency to whom you happen to claim allegiance, whoever that might happen to be. If I really worked there I would be aware of the relationship. Wouldn’t it seem a little strange that I don’t if he begins to cautiously probe my background knowledge?”

Tanner looks like he wants to chew nails and spit out tacks. He takes at least a minute making faces before he begins to talk.

“Carter was just as much a womanizer when he was in high school as he is now. He made it a point of getting the girlfriends of guys he didn’t like to go out with him. His gift of gab quickly convinced them to jump into the sack with him and he would make them pregnant. He would wear a condom but he usually would put a hole in it before he put it on. The girls knew he was wearing a condom and didn’t think that they would become pregnant. My girlfriend was one of the ones who killed herself when she found out. I and two others nearly killed Carter. We should have finished the job later. He’s still slime.”

“So that’s the issue between you and Carter?”

“Not completely. He tried to make it look like I was the one who made her pregnant and then also tried to tie me to his beating.”

“I take it he wasn’t successful?”

“No. But some of the stigma stayed with me while he got away with it scot free.”

I nod my head, “So it wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings if he accidentally dropped dead one day?”

“Not if it couldn’t be traced back to an agency nor to us.”

“Couldn’t that be arranged? What about his business partners? Could it be traced to them instead? Then maybe whatever this ‘business’ deal is could be a double hit instead of taking just him?”

“His agency wouldn’t like it.”

“Which one is his Agency?”

“I’m not at liberty to divulge that.”

“Which one is your agency.”

“Same answer.”

“You must answer that one. If I’m supposed to be from them, I would know who they are and, apparently, so does Emerson. Besides, I need some way of contacting them while we are in Europe just in case something happens and I think he would love to see something happen to you.”

“I’ll talk with them about that and give you an answer before we go. Don’t expect them to say okay.”

“Why do the two agencies dislike each other so much?”

“Not something you need to know.”

“I do so. What if Emerson does something to get you temporarily out of the way and then comes after me or the girls? What do I do? Who do I contact? So many different things could happen and he could deny it all. I want a gun while we are in Europe.”

“NO. N. O. No. You’re not an agent and you don’t know how to get rid of one if you had to use it. Don’t push this, Kat.”

“You made Emerson think I’m an Agent. He obviously will have passed that on by now or you don’t know how to read people very well. I’m now at risk because of things you said to try to frighten Emerson into leaving me alone. Not only am I at risk but so are the girls. I want a gun.”

“I’ll bring it up, but between now and then you need to learn a lot more about how to use one. You need to learn more Russian and you need to learn more about modeling. You have only four days to do all that so you need to stay here at the house and put in the hours.”

“Fine with me. Show me how to open the bookcase and I’ll even come down here and practice. And I’ll spend as much time as I can on the Russian. Now, what are these Russian and Greek ties of Emerson’s and how do they now affect me? Are they legitimate endeavors or are they criminal?”

“Knowing Carter the way I do, I’d say they are likely criminal but difficult to prove. He’s a wizard at financial matters.”

“So he’s likely to be laundering money or showing someone else how to do it.”

“Probably not that so much as showing them where and how to invest their money to achieve some specific goal.”

“Does he have a history of criminal behavior?”

“I’d say so. Starting in high school. He’s always been VERY careful to cover his tracks and he’s become very good at it.”

“So why does some American agency protect him?”

“He’s one of their better money men.”

“Money man. What’s that?”

“Just what it sounds like. The agencies are given funds to operate. His agency gives some of those funds to him and he comes back roughly six months later with the same amount plus the original. He won’t tell them how he does it and they don’t care. Last year he handled about two hundred million for them. That’s not a lot, but for one money man it is the largest amount to be handled. There are hints, whispers out there that he used it in the heroin and cocaine trades into locations in Europe but we weren’t able to trace any of it. There are also hints that they intend to give him nearly five hundred million to play with this year. The man is dangerous and he doesn’t care about anyone except himself. The money base he has personally is growing a little too fast to be sole source in the garment trade. Further, there are rumors of some player in the drug trade who is coming up with larger and larger amounts of cash. We think it’s Emerson.”

“So why not just take him out and forget about him?”

“He actually is an operative for his agency. They would become, shall we say, a bit upset over his loss. Upset enough to start an Agency to Agency war.”

“So make a few deals in Emerson’s name which accidentally are traced back to him. Then have his own people kill him to avoid the backlash from the exposure. Or maybe do almost the same thing but make it look like he is taking a large portion of the pie and getting them angry with him. The best thing that could happen is they kill him and the worst is that they just take him down a notch or two.”

“That’s been tried. If we do it again, the first people they’ll think of is us.”

“What if some girl he rapes, kills him?”

“Her life wouldn’t be worth a plugged nickel.”

“But he would be dead.”

“So would the girl.”

“There has to be a way to take him off the streets. I still need to have some way of contacting your agency while we are in Europe and I need to know more about all this so I may intelligently avoid Emerson’s questions if they come.”

“For now you just study. And study hard. I’ll see what I can do to get answers for you. Now, since we’re down here and you brought your cleaning gloves...”

I roll my eyes but nod my head in acceptance and he begins to hand me the stuff to carry over to the bench and it’s shelf while he brings a new target to put on the carrier.

I did just as badly this evening as I did the other day. That sliding thing frightens me the way it flies back over my hand when I fire the pistol and then it slams back forward again. If that wasn’t happening then I probably would do better. I always want to dodge just in case it comes off and flies back at me. I can’t aim properly because I’m trying to stay out of it’s probable path should it ever decide to do so. At least I always hit the paper and within a few inches of the center. Tanner thinks I would do very well if I could get over this fear. Giving the whole matter some thought, he decides he wants us to fly out early Saturday so he may take me to some place in Virginia to try shooting on Sunday before we take off Monday afternoon.

The next morning Tanner wakens me and has me get ready before he leaves for the studio. The modeling coach will be coming here the rest of the week and I need to decide what I’m going to be taking with me Saturday morning. After the coach leaves then I’m to go down and practice shooting until I’ve used a full two boxes of bullets. He expects me to clean the pistol properly and he will check it when he returns in the late afternoon or evening. I’m to study Russian the rest of the time until he gets back. So obviously I have nothing to do each day. OH, and somewhere in there I need to prepare supper, not to mention lunch.

Each day progresses with me better able to fit my role of a model and by the end of my lesson Friday my coach says, “You are actually beginning to put into practice that which I’ve been teaching you. Three or four more months and you might even be a professional. As it is you are leaps and bounds beyond where you were when we began Tuesday. When you return from your trip contact me and we shall continue this. You show great promise. We may make a super model out of you yet.”

Somehow I think that was an order and not a request. I wonder if he is part of the same agency Tanner works for?

Now... Just in case, I begin packing. I go to my room after setting the alarm and begin getting my things together and into my luggage. Some of it is easy. The dresses and the gown are already in carriers and much of my lingerie is easy to pack into a suitcase. Just carefully lift it from the drawer and put it in the case. I am taking all sixteen unopened pairs of stockings as well as two delicate’s bags and I hope the hotels will be able to launder most of my things. I will still need to do some things myself and then hang them to dry. There must be a better way, so I will talk with the other girls to find out about that. The other... I’ll talk with the girls about it. Two hours later, I’m packed and go back out to study my Russian. If I hadn’t spent so much time trying to decide why I keep classing myself with the girls, I could probably have packed in less than an hour.

Tanner isn’t happy with my progress on the Russian but my gosh, I’ve only had four days. What does he want, a linguist? I know I won’t be able to carry on a conversation nor will I be likely to be able to understand much but at least I have most of the basics down. It isn’t like the Dutch which was much easier. This just isn’t flowing for me. After two hours of Russian pounding in my head, I need a break and think about going down to shoot for a little while but decide against it. Instead I change my alarm so I may take a short nap. Then I will look at my Dutch some more. I would like to make it to the end of the first series of lessons and I have only two more to go. Besides I haven’t studied the Dutch in five days.

Peeling myself off the ceiling as I think about throwing the alarm across the room, I shut it off wishing my hour and a half was just beginning instead of just ending. Finally finding myself in the kitchen, I pull a bottle of juice from the fridge and go back to continue my Dutch. It goes very nicely and in an hour I have finished my lesson set. Now if I meet someone who speaks Dutch, I will actually be able to carry on a conversation at greater than the fifth grade level. According to the program I am sufficiently fluent to be accepted as having spent some time speaking the language. I can’t answer for my accent as that will need to be decided by someone who is fluent in the language other than the native speakers who are recorded in the course. How can a computer program decide if I’m speaking like a native? At least I will be able to speak with someone coherently.

I still have several hours so I am again debating about going down to the range when Tanner arrives home early.

“Hi Kat. Have you been down to the range today?”

“No. I was just thinking about it. After my coach left I spent a couple of hours on the Russian, then took a nap and finished my Dutch lessons. If you want me to understand more then we need to order the next level of the Dutch.”

“Okay, I’ll do that when we get back. You need to get packed we are leaving tonight on the red-eye.”

“I’m packed; just need to take a shower and change. Why are we leaving early?”

He comes over to me as he says, “The whole thing got moved up a bit because we need a little extra time for the publicity shots.” Then he leans over to my ear and whispers, “There’s someone who wants to meet and talk with you before we leave the country.”

“Do you have your passport and shots record in your purse? You’ll need quick access to those.”

“OH. No, I packed them. I’ll go take care of that right now.”

“Good. You might take your shower and get dressed now as well. I’ve got a couple of things to take care of in my office and then I’ll do the same.”

“Okay.” I go off to my room and dig out my passport and shot record placing them into my purse then get out the clothes I plan on wearing for traveling and go to take a shower.

I’m out and getting dressed when Tanner drops by my room knocking at the door, “may I come in, Kat?”

“Yes. I’m decent.”

He enters my room and takes a look, “You’re more than decent Kat. You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you, kind Sir.”

“I moved up our flight. I found one leaving at eight so if you think you’ll be ready by six we could make that one.”

I glance at the clock which I had contemplated destroying only hours before.

“I should easily be ready by then.”

“Good. I’ll order a cab and then take my shower and get dressed. We’ll check into a hotel when we get there so you may change into a skirt suit. Then we’ll take care of a few things before we meet the girls and Irina on Sunday.”

“Okay. The water should be hot by now so have fun.”

“Is that an invitation?”

“Not unless you want another slap for becoming fresh with your fiancee before we’re married.”

“I think I’ll forego that. Maybe just a kiss and then I’m off to accomplish great things.”

“I hope a shower is included in that list.”

“Madam, you wound me.”

“I warned you before, I need a knife if you want me to do that.”

“As discretion is the better part of valour, I think I’ll be satisfied with a kiss and be on my way.”

“All right.” I gave him a hug too, just in case the house is bugged with video cameras.

Twenty minutes later Tanner has returned. He’s in different clothes and smells like he took a shower but how he could have arranged for a cab, showered and dressed in twenty minutes I’ll never know. Well... He didn’t shave, obviously. I suppose he plans on doing that at the hotel. As we ride to the airport he gives me a bit of a rundown for our trip. He expects us to arrive at the hotel around one or one thirty. We will have time for a nap and then breakfast there before going on to a meeting at eight. That will likely take most of the morning and might actually become several meetings. A lot will depend on the first one.

During the afternoon we may be spending some time at a farm before returning to the hotel. I find it a bit curious that I’m not going to have time to change out of the skirt suit before going to the farm. I would rather wear something I should think would be more appropriate. If the farm has horses I would like to have the opportunity to begin to learn to ride since I’ve wanted to do that for years. Maybe when we return I may convince him to take me somewhere so I could learn to ride a horse.

We arrive at the airport and check in. Our luggage is quickly handled and the photographic equipment has already shipped on an ATA carnet so we will pick it up when we arrive in Europe carrying it with us as we travel on tour. It will then be shipped back to the US after the tour is finished. Even my little personal digital camera, CD-MP 3 player, and notebook computer have a travel document which goes so far as to list the models and serial numbers of everything, even so far as to list my jewelry. That travel document is added to the passport and shot record already in my purse.

We are given our tickets and go to spend the next twenty minutes trying to get through the security measures so we may board our plane. When one of the agents tried to confiscate my camera and notebook computer just ten minutes into the game, Tanner shows him something and suggests if he really wants to keep his job he will turn around and leave us alone. We were passed through very quickly after that and the other agents looked at us like we were tigers looking for their next meal and they might be the appetizers.

Maybe there is something to being a spy after all. I always thought spies didn’t want to be noticed but maybe something could be put on their passports so people will know to leave them alone. Then again maybe there is. We didn’t show them our passports. Or at least I didn’t. I don’t know what Tanner showed the one agent. Whatever it was, it frightened him. I’m beginning to think I want something like that if I’m going to be traveling very much.

to be continued